Our Vow Of Love
by IloveheartlandX
Summary: Rachel and Finn have been best friends since the age of eight and fell in love as they grew up, marrying at 23. Five years into their marriage Rachel is in a car accident and wakes up thinking she's fifteen-she doesn't remember ever falling in love with Finn, she thinks she's still in love with her ex-boyfriend. Can he make her fall in love with him all over again?
1. Fast Friends

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or The Vow. All rights go to RIB and Spyglass Entertainment.

Our Vow of Love

A/N: I know I put a poll up to decide which movie my next finchel story will be based on and I'll leave it up because it will be good for when I write my next Finchel story. I decided to write this one because I liked the movie but I want to give it a happy ending with Finchel. This will loosely be based on the movie The Vow but I will be adding some bits of my own into it. I wanted to write a little young Rachel and Finn into this so there will be some of that.

Summary: Rachel and Finn have been best friends since the age of eight and fell in love as they grew up, marrying at 23. Four years into their marriage Rachel is in a car accident and wakes up thinking she's fifteen-she doesn't remember ever falling in love with Finn, she thinks she's still in love with her ex-boyfriend. Can he make her fall in love with him all over again?

Chapter 1: Fast Friends

_Rachel_

She looks out of the car window onto the streets of Lima and can't help but let out a sigh. This town looks like the most boring place ever. She can't believe her dads moved her from the greatest city in the world, the home of Broadway for this small mid-western town.

"Rachel, there's no need for sighing. This move is going to be great for us" my dad Leroy says from the front seat of the car.

"There's no Broadway here. How can I expect to be a big Broadway star when I live in some cow town?" she asks.

"By your incredible talent" my daddy Hiram says.

"Still I don't understand why we had to move here" she says.

"Your dad and I got transferred by our law firm to Columbus you know that Rachel" Dad says.

"I know, and you'll get paid more money, I've heard it all before" she says groaning.

"You never know, you might make friends" Daddy says.

"I highly doubt that" she says.

"They might surprise you" my dad says. We pull into the drive of our new house.

"Can I go explore?" she asks because she really doesn't want to have to unpack.

"Just be back in time for dinner sweetie" Dad says ruffling my hair. She doesn't know where she can go, after all there doesn't seem to be anything to do in this town so she waits for the moving van to pull up and then grabs her bike. She's cycling along the street, singing and not looking where she's going. She doesn't see when she bangs into someone.

"Careful there you could kill someone on that bike" a voice says. She looks up and there in front of her is the tallest boy she's ever seen, with brown hair and brown eyes. She guesses that he's kind of cute but she hasn't seen many boys so she doesn't have anything to judge it on.

"I'm sorry" she says her cheeks flushing pink.

"It's okay. You have a nice voice by the way" he says.

"You heard that?" she asks.

"I think half the neighbourhood heard it" he says giving her a half grin. That smile of his is infectious and she can't help but smile too.

"My dads joke that I came out of my mom talking, I'm so loud" she says.

"Dads?" he asks.

"I have two dads. It's not weird and if you have anything mean to say about it then I'll kick your butt" she says.

"You really think you could kick my butt?" he asks. He towers a good foot above her.

"Probably not" she admits.

"I wasn't going to say anything. I'm sure your dads are cool. My family's not exactly normal either. It's just me and my mom" he says.

"Sorry, it's just a lot of people are rude about my dads" she says.

"I won't be" he says.

"I'm going to be on Broadway someday" she says.

"What's that?" he asks.

"You haven't heard of Broadway?" she says incredulously.

"I bet you haven't heard of the Cleveland Browns" he says.

"No" she says.

"See? I think that's equal to me not knowing what Broadway is" he says.

"Broadway is the theatre district in New York where all the great theatres are and the best musicals are performed" she says.

"And you're going to perform there?" he asks.

"When I'm older yes" she says.

"How old are you know?" he asks.

"Eight" I reply.

"Same as me then. So are the people on Broadway good?" he asks.

"They're the best of the best" she says.

"You must be really good then" he says.

"You heard me" she says.

"Yes but I don't know if that's good compared to other people. I don't know much about singing" he says.

"Who are the Cleveland Browns? You never told me" she says.

"Ohio football team. They're in the NFL" he says.

"I didn't understand a word of that" she says.

"You could teach me about Broadway, and I'll teach you all about football" he says.  
"Isn't football a boys game?" she asks.

"Girls can play too" he says.

"Can you sing?" she asks.

"Probably not as well as you, but a little. They have music classes at school" he says.

"Not bad but I've been professionally trained since I was two" she says proudly.

"Are you always this snobby?" he asks.

"I am not snobby!" she insists.

"You are a little" he says.

"I'm talented, what's wrong with that?" she asks.

"Nothing. You just don't need to look down on people who aren't" he says.

"I'm sure you're talented" she says.

"I can play the drums. And I'm pretty good at football. Coach says I could be quarterback when I grow up" he says.

"Is that good?" she asks.

"Quarterback's the leader of the offensive team. It's the most important position on that side" he says.

"Wow" she says.

"I'll show you a game sometime" he says laughing, picking up on her lack of enthusiasm.

"I'd like that" she says. She's not really into sports but there is something about this boy that she instinctively likes. She realises that in all the time she's been talking to him, she hasn't actually asked him his name.

"I'm sorry, I completely forgot to ask your name" I say.

He laughs. She likes that sound-he has a very endearing laugh.

"It's Finn. Finn Hudson" he says.

"Rachel Berry" I say holding out my hand which he shakes. He has a strong handshake.

"I haven't seen you around before" he says.

"We just moved here from New York" she says.

"Not finding it thrilling so far?" he asks.  
"How did you know?" she replies.

"It's Lima, most people don't" he says.

"What exactly do you do for fun around here?" she asks.

"Football. Bowling. Playing video games with my friend Puck" he says.

"I've never been bowling" she says.

"Seriously? Okay add that to the list of things I have to teach you. What exactly did you do in New York?" he asks.

"Singing mainly. I dance too" she says.

"Nothing else?" he asks.

"Those are the things I love" she says.

"Well I'll definitely have to take you bowling some time" he says.

"That would be nice. I don't really have any friends here, since we just moved today" she says.

"You have a friend now. Me" he says.

"Would you like to sing with me?" she asks.

"Are you sure you want some substandard only really sung in music classes, taught to sing by his mom's ex-boyfriend kid singing with you?" he asks eyebrows raised.

"Look I'm sorry I sounded snobby after you said that. I'd love for you to sing with me. Really" she says.

"Sure. I don't think I'll know any songs that you know though. I'm not a big Broadway fan" he says.

"What songs do you like then?" she asks.

"Journey songs. I love Journey, they're like my favourite band" he says.

"I think I know the perfect song. But I don't exactly have music" she says.

"Not a problem. We can go back to my house" he says. Before I can say anything he's walking towards his house and I cycle after him.

He flings the door open. "Mom I'm home" he calls.

"Did you have a good time with Puck sweetheart?" she asks giving me a big hug.

"Yeah we played video games for like hours" he says smiling.

"Please tell me you didn't sit in front of a screen all day" she says.

"Course not. We played football too" he says.

"Finn, it's rude of you not to have introduced me to your friend" his mom berates him, noticing me standing in the doorway.

"Sorry Mom. This is Rach, she crashed her bike into me as I was walking back from Puck's" he says.

"Nice to meet you Mrs Hudson" she says.

"You can call me Carole sweetheart. It's nice to meet you too" Carole says.

"Okay thanks Carole" Rachel says.

"Mom we're going to be down in the basement" Finn says.

"As long as you're not playing too late, we got complaints from the neighbours when you decided to keep them up with your drumming" Carole says.

"We won't be long" he promises and he leads Rachel down a set of stairs into his basement.

"This is pretty cool" she says admiring the walls. He's basically created a shrine to classic rock in their basement.

"I'm a big classic rock fan" he says.

"Some of the best bands have been rock bands" she notes.

"Do you want to get started then?" he asks.

"Yeah. Where's the music?" she asks.

"Right here" he says opening a drawer containing CD's.

"I thought you weren't that into music" she says her eyes widening as she sees his secret stash of CD's.

"I guess for an eight year old I probably am. I just don't tell people" he says.

"Why not?" she asks.

"I don't know. People don't expect me to like music, I guess" he says.

"I always like to be the opposite of what people expect" she says.

"Shall we get started then?" he says clearly wanting to change the subject.

"Okay" she says. He puts the CD in the player and sits behind the drums. Then they start to sing.

_Finn:_

_Just a small town girl_

_Livin' in a lonely world_

_She took the midnight train _

_Goin' anywhere_

_Rachel:_

_Just a city boy_

_Born and raised in South Detroit_

_He took the midnight train _

_Goin' anywhere_

_(Rachel sits next to Finn and he helps her drum a little before they both get up and start to dance-Finn very badly)_

_Finn:_

_A singer in a smoky room_

_Rachel:_

_A smell of wine and cheap perfume_

_Rachel and Finn:_

_For a smile they can share the night_

_It goes on and on and on and on_

_Strangers _

_Waiting_

_Up and down the boulevard_

_Their shadows _

_Searching in the night_

_Streetlight _

_People_

_Livin' just to find emotion_

_Hiding_

_Somewhere in the night_

_Rachel:_

_Don't Stop Believin'_

_Both:_

_Hold on to that feelin'_

_Street lights people, oh, woah, ohh_

_Don't stop believin'_

_Hold on to that feelin'_

_Street lights people, oh, whoa, ohh_

_Don't stop!_

"You're not half bad for an untrained singer" she says after they finish.

"High praise coming from Miss Broadway herself" he says teasingly.

"I'll admit, I can sing but I can't play any type of instrument. You seem to be pretty good with those" she says pointing to his drums.

"I'm not bad" he says.

"You're way too modest Finn" she says.

"You're the one who said I wasn't "half bad" he says.

"Your singing, not your drumming. Your dancing however…" she says but he interrupts her.

"Is fucking awful" he finishes.

"Finn Hudson, language!" she says. He laughs again.

"That was what my mom said" he says.

"I would have said, has a lot of improving to be done" she says.

"I'm sure you're just the person to teach me" he says.

"I do like a challenge" she says making him laugh again. She really does love that laugh.

"I'd better get back. I told my dads I'd be back for dinner" she says.

"No need, you can stay here and eat" he says.

"Are you sure that will be ok?" she asks.

"Yeah, it'll be fine. My mom's like the best cook ever" he says.

"If you're sure" she says. Finn takes her hand. It feels a little strange but she likes it. He walks her up the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Mom, is it okay if Rachel stays for dinner?" he asks.

"Of course, if it's okay with Rachel's dads" Carole says.

"Could I borrow your phone to call them?" Rachel asks.

"No problem" Carole says handing her the phone. She quickly calls them and they sit down to eat. Rachel has never had such a good time in her life, joking and chatting with Finn and Carole.

"I'll walk home with you Rachel" Finn says when they're done eating.

"You don't have to do that Finn, I'm fine by myself" she says.

"Nonsense. Your bike doesn't have lights" he says.

"Okay well thank you. That's very chivalrous of you Finn" she says.

"What does chivalrous mean?" he asks.

"It means behaving like a gentleman" she says.

"And that's a good thing right?" he asks.  
She laughs softly. "Yes it's a good thing" she says.

"It was nice to meet you Rachel" Carole says.

"It was nice to meet you too Carole. The dinner was lovely" she says.

"You're welcome anytime" Carole says.

"I just might take you up on that" Rachel says.

Rachel and Finn walk back to her house, him telling her about his life in Lima, her telling him all about Broadway and her life in New York. Their arrival at Rachel's house comes all too quickly for them.

"It was really great to meet you Finn" Rachel says and he hugs her goodnight.

"It was good to meet you too, Rachel" he says.

"I'd like to see you again. I had fun hanging out today" she says.

"I'm going to the movies with my friend Puck tomorrow. You could come. I think he'd like you" he says.

"I'd like that" she says.

"Well I'll see you tomorrow then Rach" he says.

"See you tomorrow Finn" she says already loving the nickname he has for her. No one else has ever called her Rach before.

She walks into the house with a big smile on her face. Maybe living in Lima wasn't going to be as bad as she'd first thought.

"Did you have a nice time at your new friend's house sweetie?" her dad asks when she walks through the door.

"Yes. We had a great time. We sang together and talked a lot. We're going to the cinema tomorrow" she says.

"What did you say the name of this boy was again?" Daddy asks.

"Finn. Finn Hudson" I say. He's not the sort of kid that I was friends with in New York-they were mainly theatre geeks and dancer girls. Finn is sweet and dorky and he loves football but he makes me laugh. We've only just met but I know we're going to be great friends.

A/N: So there's the first chapter. These first two chapters won't have anything from the actual movie in it really, and then the movie plot will start in the third chapter but it won't be exactly like the film is. The song in this chapter was obviously Don't Stop Believin'-Journey, performed by Finn Hudson and Rachel Berry. All rights go to owners.

Review?


	2. Our Vows

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or The Vow. All rights go to RIB and Spyglass Entertainment.

A/N: Thanks for all the lovely reviews for the last chapter. I'm glad people seem to like little Finn and Rachel as much as I do. This chapter will be a big time jump to their wedding but there will be flashbacks of the course of the story and I hope to show the progression of their relationship.

Chapter 2: Our Vows

_Rachel_

She looked at her reflection in the full length mirror. Finn was always telling her how beautiful she looked but she never really felt beautiful. Until today. Her dress was simple, a strapless tulle dress with lace embellishments and she felt like a princess. She could hardly believe she was lucky enough to be marrying Finn. Just seven short years ago, she had been convinced that Jesse St James was the right person for her, when really she'd known the right person since she was eight years old. That hadn't stopped her from being shocked when he finally told her.

_Six years ago_

"_He didn't deserve you Rach. That guy was a complete and utter jackass" Finn says to her whilst they are doing their homework in the basement of Finn's house. _

"_He was perfect. He was the male version of me" she says._

"_Did you ever consider that might be a bad thing?" he asks._

"_What do you mean?" she asks curiously._

"_Well they say opposites attract. People like you and me, those are the great love stories. The loves that shouldn't happen because the two people are so different but are imperfectly perfect for each other. Because they mean you can complement rather than clash" he says._

"_But we're just friends. You said you were in love with Quinn" she says._

"_And you said you were in love with Jesse" he says._

"_I was" she insists._

"_But not me?" he asks._

"_I never said that I didn't love you Finn" she says._

"_But you just see me as your friend?" he asks._

"_I didn't say that either" she says._

"_Then what Rachel? I can't read minds" he says._

"_I love you. Of course I love you Finn" she says._

"_As a friend or…?" he asks._

"_Just stop talking. I'm the only chatterbox around here" she says pressing a finger to his lips._

"_You can kiss me if you want to" she says removing her finger from his lips._

"_I want to" he says kissing her. It should feel strange, wrong somehow, kissing this boy that she's grown up with yet it doesn't. It feels right._

"_As good as you imagined?" she asks._

"_Better" he says._

"_High compliment from a guy who's kissed Quinn Fabray" she jokes punching him teasingly._

"_Quinn's got nothing on you Rachel" he says._

"_I find that hard to believe" she says._

"_You're my best friend and the girl I love. I love you more than anyone, except maybe my mom cause she's kind of the most awesome person on the planet. Quinn's just a girl I dated before I realised she was just using me" he says making her laugh._

"_I think I can deal with coming second to your mom" she says._

"_She'll be glad to hear it" he says._

"_Such a mama's boy" she says ruffling his hair teasingly._

"_Oh yeah, daddy's little girl" he says tickling her. They roll on the floor tickling each other for a few moments and then he stops and they kiss again. _

_End of Flashback_

She smiles remembering that moment. She had so many memories of the two of them in the Hudson's basement, but of all of them that was the most special. She couldn't have thought of a more perfect time and place to tell Finn how she felt about him. Their special place-that was how she thought of that basements. So many firsts had happened there.

A knock comes on the door. "Come in" I say without turning around.

"It's time" the voice says. She turns around and sees Finn's stepbrother Kurt. Just like her and Finn, they became fast friends but they bonded over their shared love of Broadway, not just music. I turn to face him.

"How do I look?" she asks.

"Stunning. It's a good job I picked your dress for you" he says.

"I have to admit, I couldn't have picked a better one if I tried" she says.

"Of course you couldn't because I'm the fashion guru" he says making her laugh.

"Are you ready for this?" he asks.

"I've been ready since I was eight years old" I say picking up my bouquet of daisies.

"I still can't believe that you and Finn wanted to get married in our basement" he says.

"Hey, that basement's provided a lot of great memories for us" she retorts.

"I know I walked in on you and Finn during one of those great memories. I'm scarred for life" he says covering his eyes dramatically. Her cheeks flush at that memory but she also has to smile a little-it was a great night.

"Well I guess we'll just have to manage with your backyard" she says smiling. My hair is in loose curls around my face.

"Don't touch them, you look perfect" Kurt says.

"How did you know I was going to?" she asks.

"Your hand was moving" he points out.

"I guess I'll see you out there best man" she says.

"You look absolutely stunning Rachel" he says.

"Thank you" she says hugging him. She adjusts her long veil over her face and walks down the stairs of Finn's house. Her dads mouths drop when they see her.

"You look so beautiful sweetheart" her daddy says.

"Stunning. We're so happy for you honey" her dad says hugging her.

"Thank you Dad, Daddy" she says. They each take one of her arms and they walk out of the back doors of the Hudson house.

_Finn_

He's never seen anyone who looks as beautiful as she does today. She walks down the aisle with her dads and Quinn and Mercedes as her bridesmaids. He never thought in a million years that Quinn and Rachel would end up being friends let alone her being a bridesmaid at their wedding. His eyes never leave Rachel's, it's like they are the only people in the world. He barely realises when she reaches the chuppah (they had tried to merge some of the Jewish traditions into their wedding ceremony since Rachel is Jewish).

Rachel's dads both kiss her on the cheek before handing her over to him. She passes her bouquet of daisies (her favourite flowers) to Quinn and then he takes her hands. They asked Puck to officiate the ceremony, a decision he's sure he'll end up regretting.

"Dearly beloved we are gathered here today to join my two incredible friends Rachel Berry and Finn Hudson in matrimony. Finn and I have been best friends since we were kids in kindergarten and I met Rachel when we were eight and I can honestly say, I can't imagine two better friends, or two people who are more perfect for each other than they are. They have written their own vows for each other which they will say now" Puck says.

Finn can't believe it. His warning to Puck actually worked-he kept his speech short and sweet and free of sexual innuendos. He is the first to say his vows.

"Rachel, you've been my best friend since I was eight and I can honestly say, I can't imagine what my life would have been like if you hadn't accidentally crashed your bike into me that day. I know our love is going to be one of those famous love stories that people remember forever because our love isn't a fleeting one, it's one that was made to last forever" he says. He sees her start to tear up a little at his vows. If that's her reaction to his, he knows he'll be weeping like a little kid at hers. She's always been better with words than he has.

"Finn, I've always believed that there's one person out there for everyone. You are my person. You're my best friend but you've always been more than that. I've said that being a part of something special makes you special, and it's true. Having you makes me feel like the most special person in the world and as long as I can love you my heart is whole. I love you, Finn Hudson, every single part of you. I always have and I always will" she says. He was right. Her vows do make him tear up.

"Finn do you take Rachel to be your lawful wedded wife? Please say you do because you two have been dragging out this thing for fifteen years already" Puck says making him laugh a little but causing Rachel to give him her evil stare.

"I do" he says, unable to tear the smile from his face.

"Rachel, do you take Finn to be your lawful wedded husband?" Puck says, clearly deciding that making a joke here would be risking his manhood.

"I do" she says with a smile equally as wide as his.

"Rings please?" Puck asks. Kurt passes them to him.

Finn gives Rachel's ring to her and Rachel passes Finn's ring to him. His is a wide gold ring and hers is a thin, twisted gold ring. He'd had a message inscribed in hers and he turns the ring over to see an inscription on the inside of his too. Her message to him reads:

_I won't ever stop believing as long as I have you xx R_

He smiles as his inscription is very similar-the inscription he wrote in hers reads:

_Don't ever stop believing in me xx Finn_

We slide the rings onto our fingers and then take each other's hands again.

"By the power vested in me by the State of New York and some internet registry site, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride" Puck says. Finn doesn't hesitate as he pulls Rachel into his arms and kisses her.

_Rachel_

The ceremony was beautiful but this is the part of the day she has really looked forward too-Finn not so much, since she loves dancing and he hates it. After all these years he's still a terrible dancer. They've taken dance classes so she's hoping that their first dance will turn out okay.

"You ready for our first dance?" she asks him.

"I think so. I'm just hoping I won't fall flat on my face" he says.

"If you do, I'll be there to help you up" she says. He knows she means always, not just tonight. She kisses him and they almost don't hear Kurt announcing their entrance.

"Please welcome for the first time as husband and wife, Mr and Mrs Finn Hudson" Kurt says. They enter the marquee that has been assembled in place of the chuppah for the evening reception.

"Kiss!" everyone in the tent choruses. They laugh and Finn kisses Rachel like he's never going to let her go.

"Get a room!" Puck yells good naturedly.

"Shut up you!" Finn yells back giving Rachel another kiss just for good measure.

They take their seats at the top table and Kurt taps his glass to signal the start of the toasts.

"Rachel and Finn have many stories as a result of fifteen years of knowing each other but they told me I couldn't tell you any of the embarrassing ones which considerably narrowed down my choices" Kurt says making everyone laugh.

"I think my personal favourite Finn and Rachel story is their first New York Christmas together. Finn was determined to give Rachel the best first Christmas in New York, so he took her skating in Rockerfeller centre on Christmas Eve even though he's probably the worst skater in the world, as we all know my brother is not the most graceful of people. Then he took her out for a picnic in Central Park and they ate under the stars. I know, so romantic, but it gets better. I still have no idea how he did it but he took Rachel to see Wicked on Christmas Day and managed to get her backstage to meet the cast. She still says that was her best Christmas present ever. That's why Finn is perfect for Rachel because he knows her better than anyone else, better than even she does herself sometimes. So here's to Finn and Rachel" Kurt says.

"I still can't believe you did that for me" Rachel whispers to Finn.

"I told you. I wanted you to have the perfect Christmas" he says.

Finn's mom is the next to speak. "I knew Rachel was special, she's the only girl that Finn has ever brought home to meet me-and he was only eight at the time. I have a lot to thank Rachel for-she brought Finn out of his shell, he never thought he was good enough despite everyone telling him he was, until Rachel told him, she gave him the confidence to pursue what he really loved, music. Finn, I'm so proud of the man you've become, the way you love Rachel is an inspiration to us all. Here's to the Hudson's. May you two live a long life of happiness together" she says.

Then it's Finn's stepfather Burt's turn. "I'm not really much with words so I'll keep this brief. You only have to take one look at Finn and Rachel today, to see how ridiculously happy they are with each other. Congratulations, you two. I've never seen two people more deserving of each other than you" he says.

Rachel's dads are next to speak. Finn is a little worried because they've never really liked him much. They always preferred Jesse to him even though Rachel's relationship with Jesse lasted only 2 months whilst they've been together for eight years. Finn never really understood why because he was always better to Rachel than Jesse.

"Rachel darling, we are so happy for you, that you found someone you love enough to spend the rest of your life with and who makes you happy. I didn't love Finn at first but he loves you and that's enough for me. Congratulations, both of you" her dad Leroy says. Rachel sighs, she wishes her dads loved Finn as much as she does.

"Sweetheart, I remember the first day we moved to Lima. You said you'd hate it but then you met Finn. The way you smiled when you talked about him, it was obvious that this day was eventually going to come. You've never been happier than with him so here's to Finn and Rachel. May your love last forever" her daddy says. She doesn't know why her daddy seems to be okay with Finn whilst her dad would much rather she be marrying Jesse.

Finn stands up to make his speech next. She can't believe how lucky she is, that this amazing man is now her husband. Heck, she can't believe that this amazing man is the same as the eight year old boy she crashed into on her bike all those years ago.

"Serendipity is a happy accident, something you find when you're not really looking for it. Rachel crashing into me on her bike that day when we were eight was serendipity. I wasn't looking for Rachel but fate decided that I was meant to meet her. And that was the best day of my life. Because I found my best friend in the whole world as well as the love of my life. I love you Rachel" he says.

It's her turn to speak now. She's wasn't really sure what else to say that wasn't there in her vows but she hopes that Finn finds her speech as moving as his was. He's always been better with the big romantic speeches than she has, she prefers to express herself through song.

"First of all I wanted to thank everyone here for coming today. It's made our day all the more special to share it with the people that we love. I just can't believe how lucky I am to have married such a wonderful man. Finn knows me better than I even know myself and he's everything I ever wanted. He's my hero, the love of my life and he's just my best friend in the entire world. I'm the luckiest girl on the planet to have found someone like Finn. I love you baby" she says and he kisses her.

"If the happy couple wouldn't mind removing their lips from each other, it's time for the first dance" Kurt says making Rachel and Finn pull away from each other laughing. Finn takes Rachel's hand and leads her out onto the dance floor.

"Sorry if I step on your toes" he whispers to her before they start to dance.

"I'm used to it" she says laughing softly. The music starts and they start to dance together singing the song as they do. It's a song they've sung for years together since even before they started dating.

_Finn:_

_You've got a friend in me_

_You've got a friend in me_

_When the road looks tough ahead_

_And you're miles and miles from your nice warm bed_

_You just remember what your old pal said_

_Girl you got a friend in me_

_Yeah you've got a friend in me_

_Rachel:_

_You've got a friend in me_

_You've got a friend in me_

_You got troubles and I got 'em too_

_There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you_

_We stick together, we can see it through_

_Cause you've got a friend in me_

_You've got a friend in me_

_Finn:_

_Some folks might be a little smarter than I am_

_Rachel:_

_Bigger and stronger too_

_Maybe_

_Finn:_

_But none of them_

_Will ever love you the way I do_

_Rachel:_

_It's you and me boy_

_Finn:_

_And as the years go by_

_Our friendship will never die_

_You're gonna see it's our destiny_

_Both:_

_You've got a friend in me_

_You've got a friend in me_

_You've got a friend in me_

"You've definitely improved" Rachel says after their first dance is over.

"Thanks. I didn't step on your toes too many times?" he asks.  
"You can kiss them better later" she whispers into his ear.

They sit down to eat the amazing food and then dance for most of the night much to Finn's chagrin. Still after about three or four dances he seems to get into it as much as Rachel. After their last dance, it's time for Rachel to throw the bouquet.

"Okay girls and Kurt, it's time for me to throw the bouquet" she says. She counts down from three and then throws the bouquet over her shoulder. She turns to see who caught it and winks at Kurt when she sees it's him.

"We've had a great night everyone but it's time for me and the Mrs to get some alone time" Finn says making Rachel give him a little slap and everyone laugh because they all know what "alone time" means.

"Thank you so much for coming everybody" Rachel says. She squeals as Finn sweeps her off her feet into his arms and carries her inside.

"What are you doing?" she asks trying to sound angry but failing miserably.

"It's tradition. I'm supposed to carry you over the threshold of our home" he says.

"Since when do you know about wedding traditions?" she asks.

"I wanted you to have the perfect wedding so I read up" he says.

"You are without a doubt the sweetest guy in the world" she says kissing him on the cheek.

He carries her down the stairs to the basement before putting her down. She looks around the room and takes a sharp intake of breath. Finn has completely transformed the basement. There are candles everywhere and rose petals scattered over the bed-I've no idea how he managed to get a bed down here but I guess it helps that the Hudsons have an extraordinarily large basement.

"This is gorgeous. It must have taken you forever to do this" she says.

"The best part of a day. I love you so you're worth it. I wanted to make this night special for you" he says.

"Having you makes this night special. But I love it, it's incredible" she says.

"I wanted our wedding night to happen somewhere special" he says.

"Thank you Mr Hudson" she says.

"Only for you Mrs Hudson" he replies.

"I'm thinking you may want to see my special wedding night lingerie now" she says.

"I think you may be right" he says.

"Just let me change out of my dress. I don't want to ruin it" she says. She is gone for a few minutes and then appears back at the top of the stairs.

"Someone ordered some wedding lingerie" she says. His mouth drops open when he sees her in lacy wedding underwear.

He pulls her down into the basement and they lie on the bed together.

"Let's make this a wedding night to remember shall we?" he says.

A/N: So that's chapter 2. The next chapter will start the movie plot but as I said, it won't be exactly the same. The song in this chapter is You've Got A Friend In Me-from Toy Story, performed by Finn Hudson and Rachel Berry. All rights go to owners.

Review?


	3. Moment of Impact

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or The Vow. All rights go to RIB and Spyglass Entertainment.

A/N: Thank you for everyone's lovely reviews last chapter. I'm glad everyone seems to be enjoying this story so far.

Chapter 3: Moment of Impact

_Rachel_

It was Rachel and Finn's five year wedding anniversary. She found it hard to believe they'd only be married five years, it felt like they'd been together a lifetime. She supposed they sort of have, he's been her best friend since she was eight years old. Finn is sitting by the window looking out at the snow outside. She creeps up behind him and tickles him making him jump.

"Rach how many times have I told you not to do that?" he says tickling her back.

"So many but I love hearing you scream like a little girl" she says grinning cheekily.

"Have you seen the snow?" he says excitedly. She smiles, Finn has always loved snow, as has she. She loves how excited he gets when it snows, he's like a little kid at Christmas. When it first snows, they still go out and play in the snow.

"You want to?" she asks gesturing to the snow outside.

"Do you even need to ask?" he says grabbing her hand. They run to their daughter's room.

"Natty! It's snowing" Finn says shaking their daughter awake. Their daughter Natasha is three years old, and named because she was born on Christmas Day-probably the best Christmas present she and Finn ever had.

"Snow!" she claps excitedly. She is literally just like her father which Rachel loves. Finn and Natty run down the flights of stairs whilst Rachel walks slowly-she can't exactly run very fast with her 6 month pregnant belly.

"Careful not to hit mommy too hard, Natty" Finn says.

"I know, I don't want to hurt my little sister" Nat says.

Rachel is the first to pick up a snowball and throw it at Finn. It hits him smack in the face. "Okay now this is war" Finn says throwing a snowball at her back. They throw snowballs back and forth for about half an hour and the grin on Natty and Finn's faces by the time they've finished playing in the snow is so wide, Rachel finds it hard to believe they'll ever stop.

"Time to go inside now Natty" Finn says.

"But daddy, I want to stay in the snow" she complains.

"Mommy and Daddy have dinner reservations. You'll be staying with Auntie Quinn and Uncle Puck tonight" Finn says.

"You did warn Noah to watch his language around her tonight didn't you? I don't want him teaching our daughter any more swear words" Rachel says.

"Quinn promised she'd make sure Puck was on his best behaviour" Finn reassures Rachel.

"Uncle Puck's awesome! He's teaching me to play football" Natty says.

"You'll be the best little football player ever Natty" Rachel says ruffling her hair.

"As good as daddy?" she asks.  
"Just as good" Rachel says.

"I want to sing like Mommy too though" she says.

"You will sweetie. One day" Rachel says. Finn carries Natty into the house and she falls asleep in his arms.

"Bless her, all that snow tired her out" Finn says.

"Puck and Quinn might have an easy time of it tonight" Rachel replies.

"I doubt it. She'll be up asking to go out in the snow in no time, now that she knows it's there" Finn says smiling. Their daughter may just be the most adorable person on the planet-after his beautiful wife of course.

"Baby's hungry" Rachel comments.

"Quinn and Puck should be here soon. In the meantime how about we snuggle on the couch?" Finn suggests.  
"Mmm, that sounds good" she says. No sooner have they got to the couch than the doorbell rings.

"You relax, I'll get it" Finn says. He opens the door to Puck and Quinn.

"Where's Natty?" Quinn asks.

"Asleep for now" Finn says.

"But it's snowing" Quinn says shocked. Natty's love of snow is legendary amongst their glee family.

"Exactly why I said for now" Finn says laughing.

"Berry man you're looking smoking" Puck says.

"Noah, I may be pregnant but I can still kick your butt" she says a warning look in her eyes.

"It's a compliment" he protests.

"Don't let Natty stay up too late if she wakes up and no chocolate. She was bouncing off the walls last time" Rachel says.

"Yes Mom" Puck says.

"I'm serious Noah" she says.

"Okay, okay fine. You two go and have a good evening" Puck says giving Rachel a hug.

"Thank you Noah, Quinn" Rachel says taking Finn's arm and they walk out to the car.

"So where are you taking me this year?" she asks him. Finn always planned their anniversaries because he was so good at it. He always planned something incredible for them.

"I thought you were taking me to the car?" Rachel asks, noticing they've walked past it.

"I thought we'd try something different tonight. Your chariot awaits" Finn says pointing towards a carriage pulled by two black horses.

"You are seriously the most amazing man" Rachel says kissing him.

"I try" he says helping her into the carriage. As the horse takes them to wherever it is Finn has planned for them to eat, Rachel can't help but reminisce on the day he asked her to marry him, the happiest day of her life.

_Six years ago_

_They had been together, six years to the day today. She knew Finn had something special planned for tonight and she'd tried for weeks to get it out of him but he'd remained annoyingly tight lipped about his plans. She was sure whatever it was would be perfect though-it always was. Like the time when he surprised her at her first Broadway show even though she thought he was working. _

"_Are you ready to go?" Finn asks coming into her bedroom. They'd been sharing an apartment in New York since they were eighteen and came over there for college. _

"_Well what do you think?" she asks. _

"_I think you look beautiful" he says. She is wearing a beautiful red dress with silver heels._

"_Thank you. Now are you going to tell me where we're going or not?" she asks._

"_Nope. You'll have to wait a little longer" he says smirking because he knows how much not knowing what's going to happen infuriates her._

_He leads her out to the car. "Just tell me are we going somewhere in New York? Or somewhere else?" she asks._

"_You're gonna love it. That's all I'm going to say" he says. _

_The car pulls up at JFK. "The airport? Where are we going?" she asks._

"_Ohio" he says._

"_We're going home?" she asks._

"_Yes. For Christmas" he says._

"_So what's the big surprise?" she asks._

"_I'll be keeping that gem to myself for a little while longer if you don't mind. Now let's go check in" Finn says. _

_She spends the entire flight trying to pester Finn to tell her about the surprise but he won't budge. It must be really good if he's being this insistent on keeping it a secret. _

_When they arrive in Lima, Finn drives them to his family's home. "We're seeing your folks?" she asks. Not that she minds but she would rather spend their anniversary alone._

"_No, just us. They're out for the evening" he says taking her hand and leading her into the house._

"_Why are we here?" she asks._

"_You'll understand in a minute" Finn says leading her towards the basement stairs. He opens the door and takes her down into the basement._

_Her eyes widen in shock. The basement is draped in white lights, covered in candles and her favourite flowers daisies. In the middle of the room there is a small table covered in a white tablecloth with dinner for two on it._

"_Surprised?" he asks._

"_Just a bit. It must have taken you forever to do all this" she says._

"_Did you not wonder why I kept coming to Lima at weekends?" he asks._

"_How long have you been planning this?" she asks._

"_A while now. It's a special night, I wanted to make sure it was perfect" he says._

"_You are the most amazing boyfriend" she says kissing him. _

"_Shall we eat?" he asks pulling her chair out for her._

"_Definitely" she says. They start to dig into their food._

"_Your mom's vegan spaghetti and meatballs are the best" she says._

"_How did you know she made it?" he asks pretending to be insulted._

"_Finny you know I love you but your cooking tastes like feet most of the time" she says giggling._

"_It's a good job yours doesn't then isn't it?" he says taking her light hearted jibe at his cooking well. If possible he cooks worse than he dances._

"_So why here?" she asks after finishing a mouthful of spaghetti._

"_All our most special times have happened in this basement" he says._

"_Including our first time" she notes._

"_That would have been completely perfect if Kurt hadn't walked in" he says. Her face blushes bright red at the memory. _

"_I prefer to be selectively amnesiac about that part" she says. They continue to eat and when the last strand of spaghetti is left on Rachel's plate they have their "Lady and The Tramp" moment where they eat the same piece of spaghetti and their lips meet in a kiss. _

"_I wish I could. His face was a picture" Finn says laughing in the cute way he does. Dessert is vegan cheesecake and tastes just as delicious-his mom's cooking really is the best._

"_I think it's time to dance now" he says._

"_You know what would really make this perfect?" she says._

"_What?" he asks._

"_Stars" she says._

"_Your wish is my command" he responds pressing a button on a remote control. The ceiling turns black with little white stars._

"_How did you know I was going to ask that?" she asks._

"_I know you" he says simply._

"_Better than anyone" she replies. They dance for a few minutes without music but then he presses another button on the universal remote control and music starts playing. He sings softly to the music as they dance together._

_**Finn**__:_

_**I can only give you love that lasts forever**_

_**And a promise to be near each time you call**_

_**And the only heart I own**_

_**For you and you alone**_

_**That's all**_

_**That's all…**_

_**I can only give you country walks in springtime**_

_**And a hand to hold when leaves begin to fall**_

_**And a love whose burning light**_

_**Will warm the winter's night**_

_**That's all,**_

_**That's all.**_

_**There are those I am sure who have told you**_

_**They would give you the world for a toy.**_

_**All I have are these arms to enfold you,**_

_**And a love time will never destroy**_

_**If you're wondering what I'm asking in return dear**_

_**You'll be glad to know that my demands are small**_

_**Say it's me that you'll adore**_

_**For now and evermore**_

_**That's all,**_

_**That's all.**_

"_That was beautiful" Rachel says when the song finishes._

"_Not as beautiful as you" he says pushing a strand of her hair back behind her ears._

"_I can't believe how lucky I am to have met someone like you" she says._

"_I'm the lucky one" he says. He takes her hand and kneels to the floor._

"_Finn?" she asks managing to look surprised and excited at the same time. _

"_Rachel, I love you. I always have, even when I was eight years old. You're my best friend and the love of my life, and if the best thing I do in the rest of my lifetime is loving you then that's good enough for me because you are the most incredible person I've ever met and you're going to be the biggest star one day. I want to be there to see that. Rachel Berry will you be my wife?" he asks holding out a black box with a ring inside. It's a very simple ring, a star shape made up of little diamonds on a silver ring._

"_A star?" she asks smiling. _

"_A star for my star. So what do you say?" he asks._

"_Yes! Yes! I'll marry you" she says. He slides the ring on her finger and sweeps her into a kiss._

"_All this…." she says when she pulls away._

"_I wanted it to be memorable" he says._

"_I'll remember it for the rest of my life" she says._

_End of Flashback_

"What were you thinking about? You kind of drifted off there" Finn asks bringing me back to here and now.

"The night you proposed" she says smiling as she twists her star around her finger.

"That was one amazing night" he agrees kissing her.

The carriage pulls up at Sardi's and Rachel walks in with her arm linked through Finn's. She expects to see a room full of people but the restaurant is completely empty.

"There's no one here. Are they shut?" she asks.

"Why would I bring you to a shut restaurant?" he asks.

"How did you do this? This is amazing" she says.

"I may have happened to mention that I was married to Broadway star Rachel Hudson" he says.

"I didn't realise my name would do that" she says.

"Face it baby. You're the star I've always said you would be" he says taking her hand and leading her to the table.

"All my dreams have come true. Well not quite, I still haven't done Evita but I have done Funny Girl and Wicked" she says.

"You will" he says.

"I know. Do you know why I know that?" she says.

"Why?" he asks.

"Because I have you believing in me" she says.

Soon after, they are brought champagne and their food-Rachel's favourite Sardi's meal Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni and Finn's usual burger. She does find it slightly amusing that she a vegetarian-(she changed from vegan to be healthier), fell in love with someone who loves their meat as much as Finn does.

"I swear this burger gets better every time" he says ketchup spurting out and covering his mouth. Rachel laughs and uses a napkin to wipe it away, like she always does.

"And you get more messy eating it every time" she says.

"I can't help it. It's just too good" he says.

After they finish eating, the room fills with music. Rachel recognizes the song immediately-it's the song Finn sang to her the night he proposed.

"Do you care to dance Mrs Hudson?" he asks.

"I thought you didn't dance Mr Hudson" she says.

"Only with you" he says taking her hand and leading her out onto the dance floor. They lose track of time as they're dancing together, just the two of them in the room.

When they finally leave it is dark outside and stars are in the sky. The snow is knee deep by now and more is falling fast.

"Is it a good idea to go home?" Rachel asks looking at the snow falling from the sky, covering New York in a thick blanket.

"We don't exactly have a choice. I called Puck to bring the car round whilst we were in the restaurant" he says leading her to their car.

"This was incredible. The carriage, the restaurant, all of it" she says.

"Only the best for my wife" he says kissing her. They attach their seatbelts, Finn making sure that Rachel's bump is protected and then are off on their way.

The snow is coming down thick and fast and he can barely see anything.

"Finny, look out! There's another car" Rachel yells. He can't see it though, the snow is blinding his view. He tries to slow down but he's too late. The other car crashes into them at blinding speed, and Finn's world is plunged into total darkness. He can feel his hands on Rachel though, one holding her's, and one around their unborn child. He's still trying to protect them even though there's nothing he can do.

A/N: So there it is, the third chapter. The next chapter will be them in the hospital. The song I used in this chapter is That's All-Michael Buble version. All rights go to owners. I have a new syoc open called Coming Home so please submit to that.

Review?


	4. Remember, My Love

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or The Vow. All rights go to RIB and Spyglass Entertainment.

A/N: Thanks for all your reviews last chapter. Lucky you guys, I didn't want to leave you on that cliffhanger for too long. The first part takes place straight after the accident, then the next is a few weeks later.

_Previously: "The other car crashes into them with blinding speed"_

Chapter 4: Remember, My Love

Finn

_Finn could hear the sound of beeping machines all around him but he still couldn't see anything. He was still holding Rachel's hand though. He gripped tighter, he didn't want to let her go at all. He can vaguely hear voices._

"_They were just brought in. One male, one female in their late twenties. The female has a head injury but we can't get the man to let go of her" the voice says._

_They're not taking her away. They can't. _

"_He's unconscious, it can't be that hard" a second voice says. I feel another hand trying to pry mine away from Rachel's and I squeeze hard on their fingers._

"_He's not letting go Doc. What should we do?" the voice which I recognize as female asks._

"_Let me" he says. I swear this man needs to trim his moustache because his mouth is right next to my ear and I can feel the moustache hairs. _

"_I know you love her but you have to let go of her, so we can help her and your baby. You too" the guy says. I reluctantly let go of Rachel. I don't want my wife to die. _

_The light is blinding when he eventually wakes up. He doesn't know how long has passed, all he knows is that he wants to see Rach._

"_Rachel, Rachel" he calls but there's no reply. A nurse clearly heard his cries though because she comes running into the room. _

"_Mr Hudson, you can't go anywhere just yet. That car accident was a nasty one, you still have a bad concussion" she says._

"_How long have I been out for?" he asks._

"_About a day. You came in yesterday evening" she says._

"_How did you know my name?" he asks_

"_Driver's licence. It was in your wallet" she says._

"_You have to let me see my wife. What even happened to us anyway?" he asks._

"_You were crashed into by a drunk driver. You were lucky you were both wearing seatbelts or it could have been a hell of a lot worse. You were lucky considering you were driving. You have a broken leg and a concussion but nothing worse" she says._

"_And Rachel?" I ask._

"_It's a miracle she's still alive. Your baby girl somehow managed to survive that crash, which is amazing in itself. She has a broken arm but she has a brain injury. We've had to put her into a medically induced coma to give her brain time to heal" she says. I try to stop myself from crying but I can't help it. _

"_Mr Hudson are you sure it's a good idea to see your wife right now?" she asks._

"_Yes. I have to see her" he insists. She helps him out of bed and into a wheelchair and wheels him to Rachel's room. She looks so tiny there with all the machines surrounding her. He wheels over to the bed and places his hand on her stomach. He feels his baby kick, strong and very much alive._

"_Rachel you have to wake up. Please. For me and our baby. She's alive honey. She's a survivor just like you. You have to fight. For her and for me and Natty. We all love you" he says. He watches to see any trace or flicker of movement but she just stays completely still and the machines keep beeping on. _

_He curls up on the bed next to Rachel taking her hand in his. He's not going to leave this room until she wakes up._

"Finn" a voice says from the doorway of the room. He doesn't even look over, his eyes are just fixed on Rachel. Just like they have been for the past three weeks. He hasn't left her side not even for a minute. He's worried that if he leaves her then she'll wake up and he won't be there.

The person walks towards him and he looks up to see his mom. "Hi Mom" he says.

"I brought you some food" she says holding out a peanut butter sandwich.

"I'm not hungry" he says.

"You have to eat" she says forcing the sandwich into his hand.

He reluctantly opens the wrapping of the sandwich and eats it but it doesn't taste as good as usually. He can't think about normal things like eating when his wife lies there fighting for her life.

"Where's Natty?" he asks assuming that if his mom's here she should be here. His mom has been looking after Natty at their apartment since the accident.

"She's outside. She's dying to see her mom" Carole says.

"Bring her in then" he says.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to let her see her mom like this?" his mom asks nervously.

"She can't stay away forever. I was hoping Rachel would have woken up by now but she hasn't" he says.

"I'll bring her in" Carole says. He feels bad for keeping Natty from her mom for so long but he'd hoped Rachel would have woken up before she saw her.

Natty bounces into the room so excited to be seeing her mom again.

"Mommy!" she yells bouncing onto Rachel's hospital bed and giving her a big hug.

"She's not moving Daddy" Natty says looking confused.

"Mommy and Daddy were hurt badly by a car hitting us sweetie. Daddy's okay and your baby sister's okay but Mommy's head got hurt and she needs to sleep for a while for her head to get better" Finn says taking his daughter's hand. He's never seen so much sadness in his little girl's eyes.

"Why couldn't I see her?" Natty asks.

"Daddy wanted you to see Mommy awake sweetie" he says.

"How can we get her to wake up?" she asks.

"You could talk to her. She'd like that" he says. Natty takes her mom's hand and Finn thinks he's going to start to cry again. He never thought he'd see his wife and daughter in a situation like this.

"Are you okay, Daddy?" Natty asks.

"I'm fine sweetie. You just talk to Mommy okay? Tell her how much we want her to come back to us" he says.

"Mommy, I love you. Please don't leave me and Daddy. Daddy says you need to sleep to get better but don't sleep too long. It's almost Christmas and my birthday. This could be my present" she says. She looks up at her mom expecting her to wake up and when she doesn't she starts to cry.

"Daddy you said if I spoke to her Mommy would wake up" Natty says looking at me with sad, tear stained eyes.

"Mommy's head hurts a lot baby. She'll wake up when she's ready" he says.

"Will she wake up for Christmas?" Natty asks.

"I hope so sweetie" he says running his hands through her hair. She still looks so sad. Maybe letting her see Rachel wasn't the best idea.

"Honey why don't you let grandma take you to the cafeteria? They have ice cream" he says.

"Mommy says I'm not allowed to have ice cream before dinner" Natty says her lower lip starting to tremble. She's getting really upset now. Nothing I say is going to bring Rachel back to us right here, right now. That's all she wants-her mom to hug her.

"I'm sure Mommy wouldn't mind just this once. You've been such a good girl waiting to see her" he says.

"But she hasn't seen me yet" Natty says her sad eyes turning slightly determined.

"Mommy's not going anywhere Natty. Neither am I okay" he says.

"Okay daddy" she says. He leans down and reaches his arms out to her for a hug. When he pulls away from her, she has a slight smile on her face but the sad look is still in her eyes. She walks out with his mom and Finn is left alone with Rachel again.

"Come on Rach! Our daughter misses you so much and it's only been three weeks. She can't take this much longer, she needs you. I need you. Please" he begs. He feels like he's done this so many times over the last three weeks but he hopes that she might hear him just once. Then he feels it. She squeezes his hand. He presses the call button beside her bed for a doctor. They come running to the room immediately.

"Could you step back please, sir?" the doctor asks him.

"No way" he says grabbing onto Rachel's hand tightly. He watches as her eyelids flicker open and he sees those beautiful brown eyes.

"Rachel, you're okay" he says hugging her tightly.

"What happened?" she asks groaning.

"We were in the car, on the way back from our anniversary Rach" he says. The doctor flashes some light in her eyes, checking her vision.

"Anniversary of what?" she asks looking confused.

"Our wedding anniversary Rach. We've been married five years" he says.

"Don't be crazy. You're my best friend Finn" she says.

"Well at least you know who I am" he says.

"Of course I know who you are. You're my best friend, I've known you since I was eight years old. But I'm far too young to be married and I'm dating someone else" she says.

"Who are you dating?" he asks.

"Jesse St James. I'm fifteen years old, in my freshman year of high school" she says.

"We were in a car crash Rachel. You hit your head pretty hard. You're not fifteen, you're twenty eight. We've been married for five years since we were twenty three" he says.

"I'm too young to be married!" she says refusing to believe him.

She was living like it was thirteen years ago. Before she broke up with Jesse, before he broke up with Quinn. Before they were married and Natty was born. Natty-how on earth was he going to tell her this?. He can tell the doctors are about to ask what year it is but he beats them to it.

"Rachel what year is it?" he asks.

"2009. Isn't it?" she asks.

"It's 2022, Rach" he says.

A/N: So that's chapter number four. The next chapter Natty will be told about her mom's memory loss and Finn and Rachel both try to adjust.

Review?


	5. Filling In The Blanks

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or The Vow. All rights go to RIB and Spyglass Entertainment.

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews last chapter. I know I've been updating this story and neglecting some of my others but I have Christmas holidays soon so I will be able to update more often then.

_Previously: "It's 2022, Rach" _

Chapter 5: Filling In The Blanks

_Rachel_

She can't believe it. It can't be true. She's a fifteen year old girl in love with her high school boyfriend not a twenty eight year old married woman. She has to admit Finn's grown up well. He's a very attractive sweet man and she always had a crush on him but this is all too much.

"Why don't I remember?" she asks looking panicked.

"We crashed Rach. You hit your head hard" Finn says. His eyes. They're full of both love and sadness. She wishes she could say she loves him in the way he loves her. She did once, she must have.

"Are you okay?" she asks.

"I'm fine. I'm just worried about you" he says taking her hand. She doesn't find the gesture uncomfortable, she and Finn have held hands before. She quite likes it, the feel of his hand in hers. It's like they fit.

"Can you catch me up on what I've missed? In the thirteen years I can't remember?" she asks.

"That will take longer than a day Rach" he says. She loves that nickname, always has. He's been the only one who's ever called her that.

"I'll be back in a minute Rach. I just want to talk to your doctor" he says. She is disappointed when he says he's leaving, he's the only familiar face she's seen since she's woken up.

"Don't be too long" she says.

He flashes his gorgeous half smile at her and says "Don't worry, I won't"

_Finn_

"What's wrong with her memory, doctor?" he asks, catching up with the man as he walks away from Rachel's room.

"She has retrograde amnesia. Essentially the crash damaged the hippocampus, the part of her brain that retains memories and she's lost thirteen years-that's uncommon actually, most patients only lose memories a few years prior to the accident" the doctor says.

"Will she….will she ever get it back?" he asks.

"Her memory?. In time, with help from you and the rest of her family, I don't see any reason why she shouldn't recover the lost memories" he says.

"We have a three year old daughter Doc. What am I supposed to tell her? That her own mother doesn't know who she is?" he asks slamming his fist against the wall. He's not really frustrated with him, he's frustrated with Rachel. He knows he shouldn't be and it's not her fault that she can't remember their relationship but he can't help it. He never in a million years thought his wife would forget her own daughter.

"Maybe seeing her daughter will help Rachel remember her. People have a good memory for faces" he says.

"How long will it take? For her to get her memory back?" Finn asks.

"I honestly can't say. Could be weeks, could be months, could be years. She might never get it back-but that's unlikely. The damage was severe but not severe enough for that to happen" the doctor says.

"What can I do? To help her?" he asks.

"Show her pictures, talk to her about the past thirteen years. That's all you really can do. She'll remember more once she gets home, back to her natural environment" the doctor says.

"Thank you doctor" Finn says. He's not looking forward to explaining this to Natty.

He sees his mom and Natty walking down the hall towards him. He can't put this off any longer. He has to tell his little girl that her mother doesn't remember who she is.

"Did you have a nice time with Grandma sweetie?" he asks her.

"I had chocolate chip ice cream!" she says. He laughs as her mouth is covered in the remains of that chocolate ice cream.

"I can see that sweetie, let's clean that off shall we?" he says taking a tissue out of his pocket and wiping the ice cream from her mouth.

"Is mommy awake yet?" she demands.

"She is" he says.

"Yay! I want to see her" Natty says starting to run towards Rachel's room.

"Wait a second sweetheart. Mommy hurt her head very badly. She can't remember things well" he says.

"Me? She not remember me?" she asks.

"I'm so sorry sweetie" he says. His little girl bursts into tears.

"Come here sweetie" he says hugging her.

"She remember you daddy?" she asks.

"Yes but Mommy's known me a lot longer" he says.

"I want to see Mommy!" she says. He can't deny his little girl this.

"Okay sweetie. I'll take you to see Mommy" he says.

"You help her remember?" she asks.  
"I'm going to try" he says taking his little girl's hand.

They walk into the room and Natty immediately bounces over to her mom. She really is a mama's girl, she looks exactly like Rachel with her brown curls and big brown eyes that can make him do anything.

"Finn who is this?" she asks. Natty looks like she's about to cry again but he puts his hand on her shoulder to reassure her.

"This is our daughter Natasha but we call her Natty" he says.

_Rachel_

Her daughter is beautiful. She looks exactly like she did at that age except a little taller than she was.

"How old is she?" she asks.

"I'm three!" Natty announces proudly.

"And you're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen" Rachel says kissing her little girl on the forehead. That phrase, she's said it before, she knows she has.

_Flashback_

_Three years ago_

"_Finn Hudson, I swear if you don't get in here now, I'm going to kick you very hard in a place where it will hurt like hell!" she screams._

"_I take it you've gone into labour. Seriously why could this baby not have better timing, we're going to have to spend Christmas in hospital now" he groans. She picks up one of her shoes and throws it at him._

"_What the hell was that for?" he says clutching his cheek._

"_I'm about to give birth to your child and all you can think about is missing Christmas!" she yells. _

"_Why are we standing here arguing? Don't you need to go to the hospital?" he asks._

"_YES!" she screams._

"_Well let's go" he says taking her hand. She squeezes it so hard he swears she's going to break it._

"_Maybe a little lighter on the hand Rach" he says. She glares at him with her evil death glare so he shuts up pretty fast. _

_The cab ride to the hospital is mainly filled with Rachel screaming and swearing. He's never heard her swear so much in the entire seventeen years that he's known her than in that cab ride. _

_He rushes her into the hospital. "My wife's in labour" he says._

"_Name?" the receptionist asks._

"_Rachel Hudson" she says. _

"_Room 302" the receptionist says pointing to the elevator. He rushes her to the elevator._

_Soon Rachel is settled in the room and she's a little less scary than she was earlier but Finn guesses that's not going to last. _

_He never realised how boring it could be, they've been waiting for about six hours now and still no baby. Rachel is getting more and more frustrated._

"_Why doesn't she want to be born already?!" she screams in pain. His heart almost breaks seeing her in so much pain but it will be worth it when he sees his daughter._

"_The doctor said it could take a while honey" he says trying to be nice but she's just not in the mood for that. She grabs his shirt._

"_I have to push a Finn Hudson sized baby out of my body, I can't be patient! Why did you have to be so freakishly tall?" she complains._

"_Sorry baby. Is there anything I can do?" he asks._

"_Give me a massage, please. My back hurts like hell" she says. He gently sits down behind her on the bed and slowly massages her._

"_You're really good at this" she says._

"_Thanks" he says._

_He gets a text on his phone a few minutes later. "Mom, Burt and Kurt have just arrived" he says getting up._

"_You can't leave me in this hell Finn Hudson!" she yells._

"_I'll be gone two minutes tops" he says racing out of the room. He much prefers normal Rachel to crazy in labour Rachel._

_He meets his family outside Rachel's room. "How is she?" his mom asks._

"_Angry, uncomfortable and taking everything out on me" he says._

_His mom laughs. "That sounds about right" she says._

"_Have you decided on a name for the baby yet?" Kurt asks._

"_We haven't actually. We're waiting to see her" he says. _

"_It's a girl?" Kurt asks a gleam in his eye._

"_Yes" he says._

"_I win!" Kurt says._

"_Win what?" he asks._

"_I made a bet with Santana and Mercedes. Santana and Mercedes said you'd have a boy, I said you'd have a girl" Kurt says._

"_You bet on the gender of our baby?" he asks incredulously._

"_Yes" Kurt says._

"_Why didn't you tell me man, I could have used the extra cash" he says a glimmer in his eye._

"_FINN! GET BACK IN HERE NOW!" Rachel yells._

"_Duty calls" he says. His family laughs again._

"_She has you so whipped!" Kurt yells.  
"Damn right!" he says._

_He rushes back into the room. "What's up sweetie?" he asks._

"_Your daughter is trying to kill me!" she says her face screwed up in pain. _

"_It'll be over soon" he says._

"_Not soon enough!" she yells. He holds his hand out for her to squeeze and she does, very hard. He sings to her to distract her from the pain. He's lost count of how many songs he's sung by the time the doctor comes into her room again._

"_It's been nineteen hours Doctor you've got to give me some good news, please. I can't take this anymore!" she says._

"_You're ten centimetres dilated, so we can take you into the delivery room" the doctor says. They both breathe an audible sigh of relief._

"_Are you sure?" she asks._

"_Completely" the doctor says laughing._

_She is wheeled into the delivery room grasping onto Finn's hand tightly. He never realised how strong she was until today. He quickly switches hands before she crushes one of them._

"_Okay Rachel, I want you to push when you feel your next contraction" the doctor says. She screams as she pushes and Finn swears her screams almost burst his eardrums they are so high pitched._

"_Well done Rachel but I need you to push even harder next time" the doctor says. _

"_How. Much. Longer?" she screams._

"_Fifteen minutes tops Rachel" the doctor says._

_On her next contraction she pushes even harder and squeezes Finn's hand even tighter. _

"_That's good Rachel, you've got the baby's head out" the doctor says._

"_I swear I am never letting you touch me again!" she screams to Finn through her next contraction._

"_I know baby, I know. Just a few more minutes" he says stroking her shoulder gently._

_She keeps pushing and the contractions keep coming. She wants to collapse back into the bed, the pain is so overwhelming._

"_One more push Rachel. Then you'll have your little girl" the doctor says._

_She pushes one last time screaming at the top of her lungs and then falls back onto the bed falling asleep almost instantly._

"_I know you're tired honey but I don't think you want to miss this" he says looking down at his little girl. If you look past all the weird gooey stuff, she's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen. _

"_Do you want to cut the cord Dad?" the doctor asks._

_He takes the scissors from her and cuts the spongy cord._

"_Does she have a name yet?" she asks._

"_We haven't decided on one yet" Finn says._

"_Just make sure to fill out her birth certificate before you leave the hospital. Congratulations" she says before leaving the couple alone._

_The nurse who was assisting the birth takes the baby from Rachel's arms._

"_What are they doing with her, where is she going?" Rachel says looking around anxiously. She already loves her baby so much. _

"_They're just cleaning her up Rach. She'll be back in a minute" Finn says smiling at how protective of their daughter his wife is already._

_A few minutes later their daughter is back in Rachel's arms. Finn sits next to her on the bed with his arms around her. _

"_She's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen" Rachel says._

"_Second most. No one can top her beautiful Mama" Finn says kissing Rachel._

"_She's got your eyes. And your beautiful smile. But she just had to get my nose didn't she?" Rachel says._

"_I think your nose is cute. She looks just like you" he says._

"_Then maybe we'll have to have another one, so we can have one that looks just like you" she says._

"_I thought you never wanted me to touch you again" he says._

"_I didn't. But if it makes something as beautiful as her, then my mind can be changed" she says._

"_Definitely the best Christmas present we've ever had" Finn says._

"_She still doesn't have a name though" Rachel says._

"_Since she was born on Christmas Day it should probably be something Christmassy" Finn says._

"_Yeah but what? Not Holly, that's way too common" she says._

"_Natasha" he suggests._

"_I like it. It really suits her. But what does that have to do with Christmas?" she asks._

"_Natasha means born on Christmas" he says._

"_Where did you find that out?" she asks._

"_I've been looking up names for a while" he says._

"_You are too cute" she replies kissing him._

"_Shall I get the family in then or do you want a few more minutes?" he asks._

"_Is everyone here?" she asks._

"_Your dads arrived a while ago. Your mom came too but I turned her away. I didn't think you'd want to see her" he says._

"_I don't. She didn't want to be part of my life so she can't be part of Natty's either" she says._

"_A few minutes old and she already has a nickname" Finn says smiling._

"_Go on, go get them" she says shooing him away. He's sure she just wants a few minutes of alone time with Natty._

_He approaches the family and they turn to look at him with expectant faces._

"_We have a little girl. Do you want to meet her?" he asks. They follow him back into Rachel's room._

"_What's her name?" Finn's mom asks._

"_Everyone this is Natasha. Natasha Carole Hudson" he says._

"_You used my name" his mom says tears brimming in her eyes._

"_It was supposed to make you happy not cry" Rachel says._

"_I am dear. These are tears of joy, trust me. She's the most gorgeous baby I've ever seen" Carole says._

"_We have to get a picture of this" Kurt says bringing out his digital camera._

_Finn puts his arm around Rachel and they both smile, wider than they ever have before. The camera flashes._

"_Here, take a look" Kurt says handing the camera over._

"_It's beautiful" Rachel says._

"_Our first family picture" Finn says._

"_And we have years more to go" Rachel says smiling at the gorgeous baby in her arms. She can't imagine being any happier than she is now._

_End of Flashback_

"Are you okay Rach?" he asks.

"Yeah. I think I just remembered Natty's birth" she says.

"That's wonderful" Finn says hugging her.

"Is it? One memory out of thirteen years worth?" she asks.

"One step at a time honey" he says kissing her on the forehead.

"I missed you Mommy" Natty says hugging her. Rachel hugs her back smelling her beautiful scent. Natty falls asleep in her arms.

"Sorry, she's been up a long time" Finn says.

"It's alright. I don't mind holding my daughter" she says.

"Is there anything you'd like to know?" he asks.

"Is she our only child?" she asks.

"Actually you're pregnant with our second daughter at the moment. Did the doctor not tell you that?" he asks.

"No" she says. She almost doesn't believe him but when she looks under the covers, sure enough there is a sizeable bump.

"How long?" she asks.

"Six months. It's a miracle she survived that crash but that's our girl. She's a fighter just like her mother" he says.

"You said that to me. When I was asleep, you said that to me" she says.

"You remember that but you can't remember falling in love with me?" Finn says. He's trying not to be frustrated but it's hard when the woman you love doesn't remember being in love with you.

"It came after I lost my memories I guess" she says.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound frustrated" he says.

"It's okay, I get it. You love me, I loved you once. It's difficult seeing the person you love not return your feelings" she says. She had loved Finn whilst he was still with Quinn, she knew that much. She could remember watching them walk around together and feel like her heart was breaking.

"Yeah. You'll love me again though" he says.

"How can you be so sure?" she asks.

"Our love is a great love. It was made to last through anything-memory loss included" he says.

"In my memory I said to you to not let my mom in to see Natty after she was born. Why? I don't even know my mom, or at least I don't remember knowing her" she says.

"You met her in your sophomore year of high school. She sought you out but changed her mind and decided she didn't want to know you" Finn says.

"Does she look like me?" she asks.

"So much, it's almost scary" he says taking a photo album from the chair next to him.

"Where did you get those from?" she asks.

"My mom brought them over" he says.

He opens the page to the one picture Rachel has of her and her mother together.

"That's her" he says pointing to the woman standing next to Rachel.

"She really does look like me" she says.

"She's not like you at all. You care about people, she doesn't" he says.

"You don't like her, do you?" she asks.

"She broke your heart" he says.

"So what about Jesse? What did he do?" she asks.

"He used you. He was dating you to try and break you before our glee club show choir championship. He broke eggs on your head" he says.

"Eww. Those poor baby chicks" she says. Some thing never change, Finn thinks.

They talk until late into the night. Rachel can't believe how much has happened in the thirteen years of her life that she can't remember. She knows that somewhere in some part of her, her love for Finn must remain. No one can forget loving someone that much. She just has to find it. His face when she said "my best friend Finn" was so sad. She feels the small body next to her wriggle.

"Mommy" she says reaching up for her.

"Quiet honey, Daddy's asleep" she says.

"Can I show you some more pictures?" she asks.

"Sure sweetheart" she says. Natty picks up one of the photo albums and starts to flick through the pictures.

"Where was this?" she asks fingering a picture of her, Finn and Natty together.

"Mommy's first Broadway show" Natty says. The picture shows Natty, Finn and Rachel standing outside the Gershwin theatre with Rachel in full Elphaba gear.

"Mommy played Elphaba?" she asks.

"Yes. You were scary until Daddy told me it was you. You sang good" Natty says.

She can't believe it. One of her biggest dreams actually came true.

"Did I win a tony?" she asks.

"The broadway award thingy? Yes" Natty says.

They flick through more pictures together, there are so many of her and Natty.

"Am I a good mommy Natty?" she asks.

"The best" Natty says.

"What do we do together?" she asks.

"You teaching me to sing! And we play football" Natty says.

"Daddy taught mommy to play football you know?" she says.

"I know, when you were little like me" Natty says.

The last picture in the album is of her wedding day. She wishes she could remember it, the picture is so beautiful. She is wearing a gorgeous white dress and they are standing outside a tent in Finn's back garden which is covered in snow. The look in her eyes is one of pure love and she's only looking at Finn, not the camera. She wishes she could remember this. She is determined to-life can't take a love like that from her.

"Mommy looks pretty" Natty says fingering the picture.

"You'll look that pretty one day Natty. You look just like Mommy" Rachel says running her fingers through the little girls hair.

"Mommy still love Daddy?" Natty asks.

"Mommy's not sure honey. Mommy can't remember loving Daddy" she says.

"Mommy still love me?" Natty asks.

"Of course Mommy loves you. You're mommy's little star" she says.

"And daddy's little princess" Natty says. She's obviously heard this a lot before.

"That's right" Rachel says.

"Mommy going to remember Natty too?" Natty asks.

"Of course sweetie. Mommy wants to remember everything" she says.

She really did. She couldn't bear not remember the people she clearly loved before she lost her memory. And she was going to get it back if only for her beautiful little girl that despite not remembering she knew she loved. All she needed now was to be that sure about Finn.

A/N: There it is chapter five. I'll hopefully have chapter six ready soon with Rachel coming home from the hospital and adjusting back into her life.

Review?


	6. Going Home For Christmas

Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or The Vow. All rights go to RIB and Spyglass Entertainment.

A/N: Thank you for the reviews on the last chapter-I had intended to get this up sooner but I wanted to update Back At The Start first. It's the Christmas holidays so hopefully I should be able to update more regularly.

Chapter 6: Going Home For Christmas

_Rachel_

She was in hospital another three days before the doctors finally let her go home-well Finn's home. The home that she didn't remember living in. They let her out on Christmas Eve, just in time for Christmas. She was pleased about that-she might not remember their family Christmases but she did remember Christmas with Finn when she was a kid. Her dads didn't celebrate Christmas being Jewish but she had always loved the holiday-she'd spent Christmas with Finn's family every year since they met. It was strange this memory loss thing-she couldn't remember the home she'd spent Christmas at for the past five years but she could remember clear as anything the first Christmas they'd ever spent together.

_Flashback_

"_Rach wake up! It's Christmas already!" Finn yelled bouncing on the spare bed that had been set up for her in Finn's room. _

_She yawns and stretches but pretty soon she is as awake as Finn. This is her first Christmas ever so if possible she's even more excited than he is._

"_Let's wake your mom!" she says excitedly. They run out of Finn's bedroom, into his mom's room._

"_Mom wake up! It's Christmas" Finn yells shaking her. _

"_Finn Christopher Hudson, it is 6 o'clock in the morning" Carole says grumpily, and half asleep._

"_It's Christmas and it's Rachel's first Christmas ever! We've got to get started early" he says._

"_If you take a look outside I think you and Rachel might find something to occupy yourself with whilst I catch up on my sleep. It's supposed to have snowed last night" Carole says._

_Finn rips open the curtains. "Snow! Let's go have a snowball fight" Finn says grabbing Rachel's hand. They put on their coats and boots and run outside. She makes a snowball and throws it at Finn's back._

"_Gotcha!" she says. _

"_I'm going to get you back for that" he says._

"_I wanna see you try" she says. He picks up another ball of snow and throws it at her back. They continue throwing snowballs at each other for about an hour._

"_You wanna make a snowman?" Finn says, showing that cute half smile of his._

"_Yeah alright" she says. They work together to roll the snow into balls, first the head and then the body. They have difficulties putting it together as the balls of snow keep falling off but eventually they manage to pack the snow down._

"_It doesn't look right without a face" Rachel says._

_They pick up stones from around the garden to make the eyes, mouth and buttons. Rachel picks up some fallen sticks for the arms._

"_It doesn't have a nose" Rachel says._

"_I'll grab a carrot from the kitchen" Finn says, running inside and coming back a few minutes later with a carrot and an old hat and scarf of his that he doesn't wear anymore. Rachel sticks the carrot in the middle of the snowman's face and Finn wraps the scarf around his neck. Finally he places the hat on his head and they step back and admire their handiwork._

"_Not bad for a morning's work" Finn says._

"_Yeah but I'm getting a little cold now" Rachel says._

"_You are such a girl!" he says but they walk back into the house together._

_His mom is awake and standing behind the kitchen counter with two steaming mugs of hot chocolate._

"_Please say those are for us!" Finn says._

"_They are. I thought you'd be cold after all that time in the snow. I take it the snowman is your handiwork" Carole says._

"_It is" Rachel says proudly._

_She hands them the mugs of hot chocolate. "Extra marshmallows?" Finn asks._

"_Yes. I know how you like it Finny" she says laughing._

_He downs his mug of hot chocolate with surprising speed-Rachel takes more care with hers but they both still end up with creamy moustaches._

"_Honestly what will I do with the two of you?" Carole says wiping their mouths of cream after they finish._

"_Can we open presents now?" Finn asks._

"_Go on then" Carole says laughing as the two kids sprint into the living room-like their presents are magically going to disappear if they don't open them right now._

_They open presents from their friends first receiving a wide variety of CD's, DVD's, clothes, games and toys. Rachel is surprised when she sees that Finn's mom has got her a present._

"_You didn't have to Carole" she says._

"_It's your first Christmas, I wanted you to have something nice to remember it by" Carole says. Rachel tears open the paper to reveal a beautiful framed photo of her and Finn. It was taken a couple of weeks ago, when it first snowed. They're sitting in their tree in the Hudson's backyard._

"_It's lovely Carole, thank you" she says giving the older woman a hug. _

_Finn rips open the present from his mom. "Tickets to an actual NFL game? Browns Vs Steelers, Mom that's awesome" he says almost crushing his mom with his flying hug._

"_I thought you might like it" his mom says._

_I give my present to Finn next. "You got me a signed Browns Jersey-Rach this is signed by the entire team-how did you get this?" he asks incredulously._

"_One of my dad's friends is their manager. It wasn't difficult" she says._

"_Thank you this is awesome!" he says pulling the jersey on over his pyjama top. _

_Carole opens her presents from the two of us and then finally Finn gives his present to me. It's a small, long box. I open the box to reveal a gold star on the end of a necklace._

"_Gold stars are kind of your thing right?" he says._

_She can't believe he remembered. It was just a passing comment she made once but he remembered. _

"_Thank you Finn it's beautiful" she says. She turns and he attaches it around her neck. _

"_It suits you" he says. _

_They spend the rest of the day out in the snow playing football before Rachel has her first Christmas dinner-albeit slightly different as she's a vegetarian._

"_This nut roast is amazing Carole" she says._

"_Thank you sweetie" Carole says._

"_I still don't understand why you don't eat meat. It's awesome" Finn says his mouth full of gravy and turkey._

"_Finn Hudson, it's rude to talk with your mouth full. Meat is murder, that's why" she says._

_After dinner they listen to Christmas music and then watch Harry Potter on TV._

"_So did we give you a good first Christmas?" Finn asks her._

"_The best" she says._

"_You know there were three tickets in my mom's Christmas present to me?" he says._

"_So?" she asks._

"_Well would you like to come to the game with me?" he says._

"_Are you kidding, an actual NFL game? I'd love to" she says._

"_That's kind of spooky, the girl I met at the beginning of this year would never have wanted to go to a football game in a million years. Heck she didn't even know what the NFL was" he says._

"_I guess you changed me" she says._

"_Not too much I hope" he says._

"_Just enough. You've changed too you know, the Finn I first met would never have sat through Funny Girl even once" she says._

"_How many times have we seen that together now?" he asks._

"_Six although I'm pretty sure you haven't seen it all the way through. You always fall asleep" she says._

"_So I haven't changed that much then" he says._

"_I wouldn't want you to" she says. They sit in silence after that, just watching Harry Potter enjoying the end of their first Christmas as friends._

_End of Flashback_

"Are you okay?" Finn asks. They are in their bedroom, her sleeping on the floor, him in their bed. She could tell he felt strange when she asked that yesterday evening but she's just not ready to share his bed yet. He must have been talking and then she zoned out. She's been doing that a lot since she got out of the hospital but the memories she gets are hardly ever the ones she wants. The important ones like her wedding.

"Yeah, I was just thinking about that first Christmas. Do I still wear that necklace?" she asks.

"Why don't you look down?" he says. She does and there it is-the gold star he gave her twenty years ago. "You haven't taken it off since you were eight years old" he says.

"I didn't know whether I stopped wearing it whilst I was dating Jesse" she says.

"You said you'd never take it off. Do you remember why?" he asks.

"Of course. It was so that I would always be able to take a piece of you with me" I say. He smiles, even if Rachel doesn't remember their marriage she still remembers some important things.

"How's Natty?" she asks. She knows she saw her daughter yesterday but every day she doesn't see her she feels like she's missing out on parts of her life and she can't have that-not when she can't remember most of her daughter's life anyway.

"She's excited to see you. It's her birthday today remember?" he says.

"Ah yes the product of the most painful Christmas ever" Rachel says, glad to actually know what he is talking about for once-ever since she woke up he's been trying to remind her of things that no matter how hard she tries, she just can't remember. "Does she love Christmas as much as you do?" she asks.

"More" he says.

"Is that even possible?" she asks. As far as she can remember even at age fifteen Finn loved Christmas even more than his birthday. His mom said that it was the only holiday where Finn would get up before 9am willingly.

"Apparently so. She's so much like you, she had to get at least some of me" he says. Rachel doesn't say it out loud but it sounds as if Natty got all the best parts of Finn-that wonderful smile and his raw unmatched enthusiasm for the simplest things-like Christmas.

_Finn_

Rachel had only come home from the hospital late last night so she hadn't seen Natty yet or their apartment really. It was slightly awkward when they got home, sorting out sleeping arrangements. He tried to insist that she take the bed and he take the floor but she wouldn't hear of it. He just wishes that things could be back to the way they were before the accident but he can't turn back time any more than he can make Rachel remember who she is.

He looks at the alarm clock on the table beside him. 7 am, that couldn't be right could it? He and Rachel had talked for a while that evening but it only felt like five minutes since they stopped talking.

"Rach?" he asks.

"What are you doing up before nine?" she asks.

"It's Christmas!" he says sounding like a little kid. She laughs at that-some things never change.

"Where's Natty then? If she's anything like you, she should be in here by now" Rachel says.

"That reminds me, this may be slightly awkward" Finn says.

"What is it?" Rachel asks.

"Natty thinks that you and I might be splitting up, because you don't remember me" he says.

"Surely you told her we weren't" Rachel says.

"I did but she's a little kid. It's a lot for her to take in-her mom not remembering her and her mom and dad not being as close" he says.

"So where does the awkward question come into this?" she asks.

"Would it be really awkward for you to get into our bed so it looks as if you didn't sleep on the floor?" he asks.

She considers it for a moment. "I wouldn't want her to think that" she says throwing the blanket back onto the bed and putting the pillows back on her side.

"You don't have to" he says.

"I'm not intending on going anywhere. Natty should see that" she says getting into the bed. She fits into Finn's arms snugly, his arms around her bump.

"Sorry I shouldn't have done that" he says starting to take his hands away.

"Don't you dare. She likes it. Can you feel her kicking?" Rachel asks.

"Yes" he says. Rachel should feel uncomfortable, after all this is Finn, who she remembers as best friend Finn not husband Finn but she doesn't. She fits, right there in his arms.

"So other than the fact that he broke eggs on my head, how is Jesse now?" Rachel asks.

"He's married actually. To the Gerber Baby-oh wait sorry that won't mean anything to you since you met her senior year. Her name's Harmony, she was kind of your arch rival because you both wanted to get into NYADA until you realised she was two years younger than you so wasn't actually competition at all" Finn says.

"Good for him. Do I still see him at all?" she asks.

"You've worked together on a few shows and you and Harmony are good friends now" Finn says.

"Am I a success?" she asks.

"You're a star Rachel. You've won three Tony's already including one for Wicked" he says.

"Yeah Natty said that. She also said she was scared of me in my green makeup" she says.

"She was. She watched the first ten minutes of the show through her fingers, until I reminded her that it was you just with a lot of makeup on" Finn says laughing at the memory. Just then the door swings open and Natty rushes into their room and leaps onto their bed.

"It's Christmas Daddy, it's Christmas Mommy!" she says bouncing up and down.

"You're a little late this year Natty. You're usually in here by six" Finn says ruffling her hair.

"I was sleepy!" she complains.

"So what do we usually do on Christmas munchkin?" Rachel asks.

"We make gingerbread biscuits!" Natty says.

"All of us?" Rachel asks.

"You and Natty, I don't cook" Finn says.

"The infamous chocolate brownie story-that's one you can never forget no matter how big of a head injury" Rachel says laughing.

"What chocolate brownie story?" Natty asks.

"Me and your dad were about 14 and he was trying to cook for me. He made the brownie mix fine but then he completely forgot to set the oven timer. We went down to the basement in your grandma's house and we were singing but by the time we went to check on the brownies they'd been in far too long and the kitchen was on fire. Luckily we called 911 and they put it out but those brownies were literally black rock by that point. Completely inedible. Your grandma never let Daddy cook anything in her kitchen again after that" Rachel says.

"Daddy terrible cook!" Natty says laughing.

"I'm about as good at cooking as I am at dancing it's true. I can make pancakes though" Finn says.

"Daddy's chocolate chip pancakes are our Christmas breakfast" Natty says.

"Well what are we waiting for then? Let's get Christmas started" Rachel says excited to spend Christmas with her family-she may not remember Natty completely but even after a few days she's smitten with her daughter and husband or not, Finn has always been her family.

Finn makes them the pancakes and they dig in. "These actually are pretty good" Rachel says.

"Daddy makes pancakes for our birthdays" Natty says.

"We haven't forgotten it's your birthday as well as Christmas Natty" Rachel says passing a wrapped present to her. She's glad that apparently she bought this present before the car crash because she's wouldn't have been able to buy anything otherwise since she only got out of hospital yesterday.

Natty eagerly unwraps her present to reveal the present she has been asking for since the beginning of the year-a sketchbook. Rachel had been incredibly surprised when Finn had told her this was what she'd bought for their four year old-but apparently Natty was talented at drawing.

"Can I draw Mommy and Daddy? Together?" Natty asks.

"If it's okay with Mommy" Finn says.

"Go on then sweetie" Rachel says.

Natty runs into her bedroom and comes back out with her pencils.

"Mommy and Daddy sit there" she says pointing to Finn's dad's chair which they brought over with them when they moved from Ohio.

Finn sits in the chair and after a moment's hesitation, Rachel sits down on his lap.

"Is this okay? We could sit on the couch if you feel awkward" Finn says.

"No. This is fine" Rachel says. She likes feeling like they are a normal mom and dad, a normal couple. That way she doesn't have to be the girl who lost thirteen years of her life. Just for a few minutes.

Natty has a look of intense concentration on her face-it's a look Finn knows well because she gets it from Rachel. She sits there quietly for about an hour or so drawing.

"I'm done" she says handing the drawing to Rachel. She turns the paper over and looks at the drawing. It's incredible-obviously not perfect as she's only just four but this isn't the usual stick people of a four year old, they actually look like recognizable people and you can tell that it's them she has drawn.

"That's amazing Natty" Rachel says.

"She's been drawing since she was about two" Finn says, a proud smile on his face.

"Where do we usually put your drawings Natty?" Rachel asks.

"On the fridge" she says. They walk over to the fridge and Rachel helps Natty attach the drawing to the fridge. She notices that there are lots of pictures of her and Finn.

"She likes drawing us doesn't she?" Rachel comments.

"Yeah she does. She draws Mom a lot when she's here as well and Kurt" Finn says.

"Kurt?" Rachel asks.

"Oh that's right, my mom married Burt after we were fifteen. Kurt is my stepbrother-you two are really good friends actually" Finn says.

"Does he come on Christmas?" Rachel asks.

"No, we usually see him at New Year-we spend new year's at my mom and Burt's" Finn says.

"Mommy it's gingerbread time!" Natty calls from the kitchen.

"Okay sweetie, don't touch anything without Mommy there" Rachel says.

"So where exactly are the things we need to make these?" Rachel asks. Finn is very impressed with his daughter, she doesn't cry about her mom not remembering their Christmas traditions, she just guides her around the kitchen helping her find all the ingredients. For his part he just sits back and watches his two favourite girls reconnecting.

When the gingerbread is cooking in the oven Finn takes the bowl of leftover mix. "Daddy no!" Natty says seeing him pick up the spoon.

"What is Daddy doing Natty?" Rachel asks.

"Christmas tradition" Finn says taking the wooden spoon and flicking the mix at Rachel. She screams and grabs the bag of flour, throwing some at Finn. Natty takes one of the eggs and smashes it on Finn's head. The kitchen is soon covered in gingerbread mix, flour, eggs and butter from the food fight and they are only interrupted by the timer for the oven going off.

"I'll take the gingerbread out of the oven, you two get cleaned up. But don't use up all the hot water Finn!" Rachel says laughing. When she shakes her head, flour falls off her hair. It's small moments like that, which remind Finn how much he loves her. Finn bathes Natty before quickly having a shower himself. Once Rachel has showered they gather round the Christmas tree for presents.

"So Natty, daddy got you a birthday present too" Finn says handing her a wrapped parcel.

"My best present is having mommy home" she says smiling.

She tears open the present to reveal a small version of her dad's football shirt from high school. It is red with a number five on the back only hers has Hudson written in white letter across the top.

"Like Daddy's shirt from high school!" she says.

"Exactly. I told you, you're going to be just as good as Daddy one day" he says.

Natty eagerly unwraps the rest of her presents before handing her present to her parents.

"I made this for you" she says.

Rachel unwraps it to reveal a CD. "What is this honey?" she asks.

"I made you a CD of me singing. Well I did the singing, Daddy helped make the CD" she says. Rachel has tears in her eyes.

"Do you not like it Mommy?" Natty asks.

"I love it. It's the best present I've ever been given-these are happy tears" Rachel says hugging her before wiping her eyes with her pyjama sleeve. Finn slides the CD into his old CD player that he never could quite get rid of, even after he got an Ipod and the room is filled with the sound of their daughter singing.

Tears fill her eyes again-her daughter sounds exactly the same as she did when she was that age. Finn feels the same way, he reaches over and squeezes Rachel's hand.

"Do I sound pretty mommy?" Natty asks.

"You sound just like mommy did when she was your age" Rachel says lifting her daughter onto her lap.

"Good, mommy's an amazing singer" Natty says.

Finn is the next to give his present to Rachel. She unwraps it to reveal a star deed. "What is this?" she asks.

"It's your own star" he says.

"You named a star after me?" she asks.

"I thought about that but then I realised that there's already an amazing broadway star called Rachel Berry here on earth. So I named the star Finn Hudson. So that no matter where you are, whenever you feel lonely you can look up at the sky and know that I'm with you" he says. She gives him a huge hug.

"This is the most amazing present I've ever been given. Thank you" she says.

"That's not all" he says handing her another present.

"You didn't have to. One amazing present is more than enough for me" she says.

"Well Natty helped me out with this one. I don't know if you'll like it as much since you won't remember it now but I hope you do" Finn says handing her the second present. She unwraps it and sees a framed photo, of her and Finn. They are kissing on an ice rink in front of a Christmas tree.

"One of our other Christmas traditions-skating in central park" he says.

"Thank you Finn, it's lovely. Both of your presents are" she says. She does love the picture-it's a reminder of what she needs to achieve-learning to love her husband again in the way that she used to.

"I'm sorry, my present's a little smaller than yours" she says handing him a thin package. He opens it and lifts out the present. It's a pair of red drumsticks with the words "_Finn Hudson, World's Best Drummer" _on them.

"You haven't stopped drumming have you? You still did when we were fifteen" she says.

"No, I'd never stop drumming. These are amazing Rachel thank you" he says hugging her. She can tell that he wants to kiss her but she just can't yet. She wants their first kiss-the first kiss that she will be able to remember to be completely magical.

A silence lingers over them after that but Natty interrupts it. "Isn't it time that we went skating?" she asks.

"Yes it is. Can you get ready yourself Natty?" Finn asks.

"Of course Daddy" she says running off to her room.

"I'm sorry about that" Rachel says.

"I get it. You don't remember being in love with me, you don't want to kiss me. I was pushing it too far. I get it" he says.

"That's not it at all. I just want the first kiss of ours that I actually remember to be completely magical" she says.

"Well then magical it will be" he says.

"Why are you so sweet to me? I mean I've been a pain with this whole memory loss thing and you've been nothing but kind to me since I woke up" she says.

"Because I love you Rachel. You don't have to say it back because I know you're not there yet but I love you. I always have and I always will, no matter what, if you remember loving me or if you don't" he says.

"How can you have so much faith?" she asks.

"Because I believe in you Rachel Hudson. You will remember loving me because our love is something that will never die" he says. She smiles and takes his hand.

"One day I will remember" she says. Just then Natty rushes out of her room.

"I'm ready to go" she says twirling in her winter gear. She takes Rachel and Finn's hands and they walk down to the ice rink in Central Park together.

"Am I okay to be skating?" Rachel asks looking down at her rather large bump.

"It's up to you babe. We asked the doctor at your last visit before the accident and she said as long as you were comfortable you'd be okay-the baby's well protected with all the amniotic fluid and your chances of miscarriage are lower after the first trimester. I'll be holding you up the whole time but if you don't feel comfortable then don't do it" he says.

"You have to promise not to let go" she says.

"I promise. This girl's a fighter-she survived a damn car wreck for crying out loud" he says.

"Fine but you are not laughing at me when I try to put my skates on" Rachel says.

"I'll help you" Finn says. Luckily at this time in the morning the rink has only just opened and there aren't many people there. Finn helps Rachel with her skates, and then Natty with hers before doing his own.

Rachel is wobbly when she first steps out onto the ice but Finn takes her hand (not her broken arm, which is encased in its pink cast) and supports her. Natty grasps Finn's other hand and they skate carefully round the ice as a family at first but then Natty gets bored and rushes off on her own, falling over several times in the process but always smiling and getting back up.

"She's quite confident on the ice isn't she?" Rachel says.

"Always has been. She's a little daredevil" Finn replies.

"How long have we been coming here for?" she asks.

"Since we first moved to New York ten years ago. We started bringing Natty when she was one" Finn says.

"I just can't believe I got everything I ever wanted" she says.

"You deserve it" he says. They skate in silence for a while, simply enjoying each other's company and watching their beautiful little girl skating around.

"Has she ever had lessons?" Rachel asks.

"Yeah, she loves it" Finn says smiling. They skate for a little longer but then Rachel's ankles start to hurt.

"I think baby's done now" she says laughing.

"I'll help you off" Finn says. She starts to protest but he won't take it. He helps her off the ice, even helps her take her skates off and massages her ankles. She's not surprised-he's Finn, even at fifteen he was the sweetest guy she knew.

"Go" she gestures to Natty back on the ice.

"Will you be okay by yourself?" he asks.

"I'll be just fine. I'll take some pictures of you" she says bringing out her camera. He kisses her hand before skating back onto the ice. She watches, happily taking pictures as her husband and daughter skate together. She was right about one thing-she'd always thought that Finn would make an incredible dad one day. Natty and Finn eventually come off the ice and they walk home, hot chocolates in hand.

"So go on then, what's next? What's next on the Hudson family Christmas list?" Rachel asks when they get home.

"Mommy and Daddy sing together" Natty says. Finn has been looking forward to this-no matter what Rachel remembers, their musical chemistry has always be undeniable.

"What song do you want this year then Natty?" Finn asks her.

"Let it snow!" Natty says happily.

Finn takes Rachel's hand and pulls her in to a tight embrace. They start to dance together, singing softly.

_Finn:_

_Oh the weather outside is frightful_

_But the fire is so delightful_

_And since we've no place to go_

_Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!_

_Rachel:_

_It doesn't show signs of stopping_

_And I've brought some corn for popping_

_The lights are turned way down low_

_Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let it Snow!_

_Finn:_

_When we finally kiss goodnight_

_How I'll hate going out in the storm!_

_But if you really hold me tight_

_All the way home I'll be warm_

_Rachel:_

_The fire is slowly dying_

_And, my dear, we're still goodbying_

_But as long as you love me so_

_Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!_

_Finn:_

_Oh! It doesn't show signs of stopping_

_And I've bought some corn for popping_

_And the lights are turned way down low_

_Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!_

_Rachel:_

_All the way home I'll be warm!_

_All the way home I'll be warm!_

_Finn:_

_The fire is slowly dying_

_And my dear we're still goodbying_

_But as long as you love me so_

_Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!_

_Both:_

_Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!_

He thinks when they've finished singing that Rachel is about to kiss him but the look in her eyes says "not time yet". He's going a little crazy wondering when it will be time. They eat the gingerbread whilst watching Christmas movies. Without even realising it, Rachel curls up to Finn during the film and he kisses her forehead.

After this, they eat their Christmas dinner, Rachel with her nut roast and Finn and Natty with their pre-prepared store bought turkey with all the trimmings.

"Mommy eats yucky food" Natty says laughing.

"Mommy tries not to eat dead animals Natty" Rachel says quite proud that she's managed to remain a vegetarian all these years.

"Dead animals taste good!" Natty says licking gravy off her lips. She can't help but laugh at her beautiful, sweet daughter.

"Well you need meat to grow big and strong. Mommy's already grown up, she doesn't need it" Rachel says ruffling her daughter's hair. They pull their crackers and eat their meal, laughing and talking throughout. By the end of dinner Natty is completely tired out and sleeping on Rachel's lap. Finn gently picks their daughter up and they walk to her room together. Rachel tucks her in and places a kiss on her forehead. They sing a lullaby to her until the sounds of her soft breathing fill the room.

When their daughter is asleep, Finn pours a glass of wine for himself and a sparkling water for Rachel.

"We do a good Christmas don't we?" Rachel says.

"Always have. By next Christmas they'll be four of us" he says gesturing to her bump.

"You and your three girls" she says.

"Sounds perfect" he says.

"Here's to us" she says raising her glass.

"Here's to Christmas" he says and they take a drink.

"Is that mistletoe?" she asks looking up at the ceiling.

"I'm sorry I forgot to take it down. We always have it there" he says.

"Finn, stop" she says placing her finger on his lips. She puts down her drink moving closer towards him.

"You can kiss me if you want to" she says repeating her words from all those years ago, even if she doesn't remember it.

"I want to" he says removing her finger from his lips-exactly the same as when he was fifteen. His lips meet hers and they kiss, long and sweet and slow.

"Merry Christmas Mr Hudson" she says.

"Merry Christmas Mrs Hudson" he replies.

A/N: So that's chapter six-I hope you liked a Christmas themed chapter-I felt in that kind of mood with Christmas coming up. I probably won't update this again until after Christmas, but I might depending on when inspiration strikes. The song used in this chapter was Let It Snow-Frank Sinatra. All rights go to owners.

Review?


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